Foldable chicken coop or crate.



M. PARSONS. POLDABLE GHIOKEN 0001* OR CRATE.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 16. 1909.

Patented Dec. 28, 1909.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

*onrrn srA'rEs rArn f MAHLON PARSONS, or MANGUM, oKLAiIbMA, Assienola r0 GEORGE E. CLARK AND JESSE E. CAMPBELL, BOTH'OF MANGUM, OKLAHOMA.

FOLDABLE CHICKEN COOP OR CRATE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 28, 1909.

Application filed April 16, 1909. Serial No. 490,356.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MAHLoN PARSONS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Wangum, in the county of Greer and State of Oklahoma, have invented a new and useful Foldable Chicken Coop or Crate, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to improvements in foldable chicken coops or crates.

The object of the present invention is to improve the construction of folding coops or crates for shipping chickens and other poultry, and to provide a simple, light, strong and durable shipping crate, adapted to be cheaply manufactured, and capable of being compactly folded for returning it to the shipper.

Another object of the invention is to provide a shipping coop or crate of this character, adapted to be easily cleaned to mainlain it in a sanitary condition.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in the construction and novel combination of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and pointed out in the claims hereto appended; it being understood that various changes in the form, proportion, size and minor details of construction, within the scope of the claims may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the drawings :-Figure 1 is a perspective view of a foldable shipping crate or coop, constructed in accordance with this invention and shown arranged for use. .Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the same. Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view. Fig. 1 is a perspective view, illustrating the manner of folding the coop or crate. Fig. 5 is a sectional view, showing the coop or crate in a collapsed or folded condition.

Like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in all the figures of the drawings.

The foldable coop or crate, which is preferably provided with a wooden bottom 1, has foldable sides 2 and 3, each consisting of a marginal frame of angle iron, or other suitable material and a body portion or covering at of woven wire, soldered or otherwise secured to the outer or front flanges of the marginal frame, which also present inwardly extending side and end flanges 5 and provide inner recesses for the reception of the ends 6 and 7 of the coop or crate.

The side 2 is connected at its bottom flange with the bottom 1 by means of hinges 8, having their pintles located adjacent to the inner edge of the bottom flange and arranged to permit theside 2 to fold inwardly upon the bottom 1, as indicated in Fig. 4 of the drawings and as clearly shown in Fig. 5 of the same. The other side 3 is connected with the bottom 1 by means of hinges 9, located adjacent to the outer edge of the bottom flange to permit the side 3 to fold outwardly beyond the bottom 1, as clearly shown in Fig. 5 of the drawings. The bottom flanges of the sides 2 and 3 are arranged to abut against the upper face of the bottom of the crate or coop to limit the swing of the sides in the opposite direction to assist in maintaining the sides firmly in a vertical position. 1

The ends 6 and 7, which swing in a direction longitudinally of the crate or coop, consist of an oblong metallic frame and a woven wire covering or body portion 10, the edges of the woven wire covering or body portion 10 being secured within the marginal frame. The bars or members of the marginal frame of the ends are bent or folded longitudinally to provide two sides or flanges for embracing the woven wire. The end 6 is secured to the side 2 within the recess thereof by means of hinges 11, which are arranged at the inner face of the end 6 in position to permit the latter to fold into the recess of the side 2 and to swing outward and abut against the contiguous end flange of the marginal frame of the end 6. The other end 7 of the crate is secured to the opposite end of the side 3 by means of hinges 12, arranged to permit the end 7 to fold within the recess of the side 3 and to swing outward and abut against the contiguous end flange of the marginal frame of the said side 3. The sides 2 and 3 are equipped at opposite ends with horizontal inwardly projecting studs 13, preferably formed by pins, which pierce the adjacent end flanges of the sides 2 and 3. The studs 13, which extend through openings 14 of the ends 6 and 7 of the crate, are provided with perforations 15 for the reception of pins or keys 16, or other suitable fastening devices.

tion, the ends 6 and 7 are detachably fastened to the sides 2 and 3, and the sides and ends of thecrate or coop are thereby hinged top 17 composed of a marginal mea: tallic frame and a covering or body portion 18 of woven wire. The top is connected at one of its side edges with the side 2 by hinges 19, and it is provided at the opposite side and at the ends with marginal flanges 20, adapted to strengthen and reinforce the top. These flanges also form an inner recess and permit the top of the crate or coop to fold flat upon the bottom and over the side 3' and end 7, when the crate or coop is collapsed. The top is reinforced by transver se bars 21 and is equipped with a hinged door 22, secured in its closed position by a suitable fastening device. lhe side 3 is provided at its top with a projecting loop or staple 23, arranged to extend through a slot or opening 24 of the free edge of the top '17 and adapted to be secured by a padlock, or other suitable means for fastening the crate or coop in its unfolded position for use. I In collapsing" the crate the ends 6 and 7 are unfastened and are swung "into the inner recesses of the sides 2 and'S, on the curved dotted lines shown in Fig. 4 of the drawings. The side 3 is swung downward and outward to fold it in the same horizontal plane as the bottom 1, and the side 2 and the top 17 are swung downward to told them against the bottom and the side 5, as indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 4.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desireto secure by Letters Patent, is;:- 1. A collapsible crate comprising a bottom, foldable sides hinged tothe bottom and provided with marginal flanges forming interior recesses, ends hinged to the sides of the crate and foldable within the said recesses and arranged to abut against the flanges of the said sides when the crate is arranged for use, and a top hinged to one of the sides.

2. A. collapsible crate comprising a bottom, foldable sides hinged to the bottom and provided with marginal flanges forming interior recesses, ends hinged to the sides of the crate and foldable within the said recesses and arranged to abut against the flanges of the said sides when the crate is arranged for use, and a top hinged at one of. itsside'edges to one of the sides and provided at its other side-edges-and at its end edges with-marginal flanges forming an ine i rec s n Te an-g ns prmifl e sides hinged to fold over the other side of the crate when the latter is collapsed.

'3. A collapsible crate including-a bottom,

'hebottom and each comnal metallic' frame of angle n'wardly extending flanges and providing interior recesses, and a body portion of woven wire, ends hinged .to the sides and arranged to fold within the recesses thereof when the crate is collapsed and to abut against the said flanges when the crate is arranged for use, means for securing the free terminals of the ends of the crate to the sides of the same, and a top hinged to one of the sides and consisting of a metallic frame having inwardly extending flanges and a woven wire "body portion, the flanges of the top forming an inner recess to receive the other side of the frame.

4. A collapsible crate including a bottom, foldable sides provided with inwardly ex 'temling marginal flanges forming inner recesses, hinges connecting the flanges at the lower edges of the sides to the bottom of the crate and arranged to Jermit the sides to fold downward in onecirection, the lower flanges of the sides being arranged to abut against the bottom of the crate to-limit the swing-0t the sides in the opposite direction,

eiidsbairied by the sides and foldable in the swing of the sides in the opposite direction,

ends carried by the sides and foldable in the said. recesses, the free terminals of the ends of the crate being provided with openings, a top hinged to one of the sides, horizontal studs projecting inwardly from the end flanges of the sides of the crate and arranged to extend through the openings of the ends of the crate, and keys for securing the ends of the crate to the studs.

In testimony, that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto afiixed my signa ture in the presence of two witnesses.

HL PARS- NS- W'Vitnesses i 0.1 ELLIOTT,

L. J. EL Ior'r. 

